Arm mounting construction



March 26, 1940.

H. o. RASTETTER El AL ARM MOUNTING CONSTRUCTION Filed June 15, 1938Patented Mar. 26, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Harry 0.

Rastetter, Canton, and George D.

Banach, Hartviile, Ohio, assignors to The Union Metal ManufacturingCompany, Canton, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application June 15, 1938, Serial No. 213,808

6 Claims.

The invention relates to means for connecting an arm or bracket to asupport, and more particularly to a construction for detachably mountingthe end of a laterally extending bracket arm on the side of a pole orstandard.

In mounting bracket arms which carry electric fixtures on metalstandards, it is frequently required that the end of the bracket arm beconnected to the side of the standard below the top thereof. Moreover,the arm should be detachably mounted on the standard so that it can beattached after the standard is installed, because the electric conductorcables for supplying current to the electrical fixture must be passedupwardly through the standard and then bent sharply and passed throughthe tubular bracket arm.

Certain prior constructions have provided for extending a connector tubethrough the standard from one side to the other, securing said tube toconnector tube. This construction requires different sizes of connectorsfor different sizes of standards, and requires an opening extendingentirely through the standard; and in addition, it is extremelydifllcult to avoid sharp edges tending to damage the cables at theplaces where the conductor cables pass into the connector tube andbracket arm.

Other prior constructions have provided connector clamping meansengirdling the standard, but such means must be made adjustable orotherwise adapted for difierent sizes of standards, and the difllcultyof avoiding sharp edges where the conductor cables pass through thestandard and clamping means and into the bracket arm is I not obviated.

Furthermore, with all such prior constructions of which we are aware,thebracket arm is required to extend straight out from the standardsubstantially at right angles thereto, and it is often desirable toprovide for mounting straight or curved bracket arms extending from thestandard at various angles, to suit a variety of styles and types ofarms.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide animproved construction for mounting a bracket arm on the side of astandard or support.

Another object is to provide an improved construction for detachablymounting a bracket arm on the side of a standard in such a way as tofacilitate passing an electric conductor from the standard through thearm without damaging the conductor.

A further object is to provide an improved arm the standard and thenattaching the arm to the mounting construction which requires an openandadapted for quickly and easily mounting a bracket arm on the side of asupport.

These objects. together with others which will become apparent inconnection with the detailed description herein, are attained by theimprovements, combinations and arrangements comprising the presentinvention, which may be stated in general terms as including a mountingmember secured on the wall of a support and having a portion projectingoutwardly from the outer surface of the support, said projecting portionbeing adapted to fit into a tubular socket member secured on the end oi?a bracket arm. the mounting member having an exterior flange for beingengaged by a lip on the socket member to support the same, and anadjustable screw for clamping the socket member and. the mounting membertogether.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example inthe drawing herein, various changes in construction and arrangement aswell as in application or use being within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Figure 1 is ageneral view on a small scale showing a lamp bracket armmounted on the side of a tubular standard by means of the improvedmounting construction;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan sectional view thereof, takenthrough the improved mounting means;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view thereof; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the parts of theimproved mounting construction in detached position.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views ofthe drawing.

In the drawing a tubular metal pole or standard is indicated generallyat 6, and a bracket arm I is supported on the side of said standard bymeans of the improved mounting construction indicated generally at B.

The bracket arm may be curved as shown in Figure 1, or it may be astraight arm extending at right angles or at an acute angle from thestandard, and an electrical fixture such as the lamp 9 is supported onthe outer end of the arm. Preferably the intermediate portion of the armis connected to the standard at a location spaced from the inner end ofthe arm by suitable means such as the brace ID.

The improved arm mounting construction 8 is adapted for attaching theinner end of the arm 7 to the standard 6 at any desired location belowthe top of the standard. At the desired location, an opening II isprovided in one side of the standard, no opening being required in theopposite side of the standard because no part of the improved mountingmeans extends entirely through the standard.

The mounting construction 8 preferably includes a tubular mountingmember 12 having an inner reduced portion or neck I3 projecting throughthe opening I| into the interior of standard 6, and functioning as aguide for electric conductor cables passing therethrough. Preferably ashoulder I4 is provided at the upper surface of the neck I3 for abuttingthe exterior of the standard at the edge of opening I The mountingmember is provided exteriorly of the standard with an enlargednon-circular seating portion I5 which overlaps the opening II and has atapered peripheral seating surface I6. The depending lower part of theseating portion I 5 overlaps and abuts the exterior of the standardadjacent the opening therein, and is provided with a threaded hole I!for receiving a clamping screw I8.

A supporting flange I9 projects angularly up- 'ward from the seatingportion |5, and the upper end of said flange is rounded longitudinallyand transversely, for a purpose to be described. The mounting member i2is secured in the opening preferably by welding the seating portion I5behind its seating surface I6 to the outer surface of the pole aroundsubstantially the entire periphery of said seating portion, as indicatedat 20 in the drawing. Obviously, the mounting member could be secured tothe side of a solid support by facing off the rearwardly projectingportion of the neck I3.

The mounting construction 8 further includes a tubular socket member 2|secured on the inner end of the arm I in a suitable manner, as bywelding as indicated at 22. The open end of the socket is preferablyenlarged and provided with a peripheral flange 23 having an innertaperedsurface 24 for telescoping over and engaging or abutting theseating surface IS on the mounting member I2.

The upper end of said socket member 2| is provided with a downwardlycurved lip 25 which seats over and engages behind the supporting flangeI9, as shown in Fig. 3. The inner groove 250. formed by the curved lip25 conforms to the longitudinally and transversely curved upper end offlange I9, so that the bracket arm I is oscillatably supported on theflange I9 for permitting a. slight tilting movement of the arm in orderto facilitate mounting, the arm on the standard.

The depending portion of the socket member 2| is provided with ascrew-receiving aperture 26 preferably located so as to be centeredslightly above the threaded hole H in the mounting member I2 by anamount of 3 2" for example, when the socket member 2| is telescoped overthe seating portion I5 with the lip 25 engaged over the supportingflange I9, before the members are clamped together. The aperture 26 ispreferably somewhat larger than the hole I1 and is chamfered to conformto the tapered surface 21 of the screw head 28 for wedge-fitting thesame.

When the screw I8 is drawn up the ofl center positions of apertures 26and I1 cause the screw head 21 to engage the chamiered surface ofaperture 26 so as to pull the lip 25 down tightly over the flange I9 andclamp the members rigidly and non-rotatably together as shown in Fig. 3,regardless of inaccuracies in the shape and dimensions of the members.

In mounting the arm on the standard, the outer end of the arm I istilted upwardly by an amount sufficient to engage the lip 25 over andbehind the flange I9 of the mounting member. The transversely curvedupper surface of flange |9, as shown in Fig. 3, provides a pivotalsupport about which the arm may be oscillated or swung downwardly towardthe standard to telescope the socket over the seating surface I6, forpreventing lateral movement of the arm relative to the standard. Theslight curve of the flange |9 longitudinally, or along its length, asshown in Fig. 4, permits a sufficient amount of rocking or axialrotation of the socket member 2| thereon to facilitate telescoping thesocket over the seating portion. After the socket is tel'escoped overthe seating portion, the arm is temporarily held in place by theinterengaged lip 25 and flange 9, and the screw I8 may be drawn up totightly and rigidly clamp the arm in position, when desired.

The inner bore of the socket member 2| has rounded edges indicated at29, and the inner bore of the mounting member I2 is likewise providedwith rounded edges 30 and 3|, so that a conductor cable 32 may be passedfrom the standard 6 into and through the mounting means and arm 1without damaging the cable in any way. Also, the rearwardly projectingportion of the neck I3 covers all sharp edges on the standard around theopening ll,

Moreover, the cable can be bent as shown in a relatively gradual curveat the arm mounting means, so as to facilitate passing it through thearm without damaging the cable, because the area of the standard at theturn or bend has not been materially reduced by the arm mounting meansprojecting into the standard. The construction is therefore particularlyadvantageous where cables of large diameter with heavy insulation arerequired.

A single size and shape of the mounting member or support I2 of theimproved mounting means may be used for various sizes and types ofstandards, or other suitable supports. The socket member 2| may have itsinner bore varied to fit diiferent sizes and styles of arms, and thebore may also be varied to change the angular direction of the armsecured therein, while still maintaining the same size and shape ofsocket for telescoping over the seating surface I6 of the uniformmounting member. Thus the socket member 2| may be adapted for fitting awide variety of sizes and-shapes of bracket arms; all adapted to bedetachably mounted on mounting members I2 of uniform size and shape.

When the bracket arm is mounted on the standard 6, as shown in Figs. 2and 3, with the screw l8 tightly clamping the lower portion of thesocket member onto the seating portion I! of the mounting member |2, thelip 25 is tightly aged over and behind flange I9 for rigidly If it isdesired to provide 'a slight amount or lateral adjustment of the arm Iwith respect to the pole 6, the same can be accomplished by formingopposite side flanges or the like at the open end of socket member 2i,and by providing said side flanges with adjusting studs screwed thereinbearing on the mounting member II.

The improved mounting construction is simple and inexpensive tomanufacture, and provides means for quickly and easily detachablymounting a bracket arm on the side of a standard or similar support.

We claim:

1. Mounting construction for attaching a bracket arm to a support,including a mounting member secured to the support and having anexterior tapered non-circular seating portion, a supporting flangeextending angularly from said seating portion, a tubular socket membersecured to the end of said bracket arm and in telescoped engagement withsaid seating portion, and a lip on said socket member engaging over andbehind said supporting flange.

2. Mounting construction for attaching a bracket arm to a tubularstandard having an opening in one side, including a tubular mountingmember secured in said opening and having an exterior non-circularseating portion, a flange extending angularly from said seating portion,a tubular socket secured to the end of said bracket arm having aperipheral flange fitting over and in engagement with said seatingportion, and a lip on said tubular socket engaging over and behind theangular flange on the seating portion.

3. Mounting construction for attaching a bracket arm to a tubularstandard having an opening in one side, including a tubular mounting 4.Mounting construction for attaching a bracketarm to a tubular standardhaving an opening in one side, including a tubular support projectingthrough and secured in -said opening, said support having a taperedperipheral seating surface, a supporting flange extending upwardly fromsaid seating surface and having a rounded upper end, a tubular socket onsaid arm having a peripheral flange telescoped over and abutting saidseating surface, a downwardly curved lip on the upper part of saidtubular socket fitting over the rounded upper end of said upwardlyextending supporting flange for oscillatably mounting said arm on saidstandard, and means including interengaging tapered surfaces detachablyand non-rotatably securing the lower portions of the tubular support andsocket together.

5. Mounting construction for attaching a bracket arm to a standardhaving a side opening therein, including a supporting member secured insaid opening and having a tubular neck projecting into said standard,said supporting member having an exterior non-circular seating portionand a supporting flange extending upwardly therefrom, a tubular socketon said arm telescoped over said seating portion, a lip on said socketengaging over said supporting flange, and clamp-- ing means for pullingsaid lip downwardly against said supporting flange and clamping the scket and supporting member together.

6. Mounting construction for attaching a bracket arm to a standardhaving a side opening therein, including a. supporting member secured insaid opening and having a tubular neck projecting into said standard,said supporting member having an exterior non-circular seating portionand a supporting flange extending upwardly therefrom, a tubular socketon said arm telescoped over said seating portion, a lip on said socketengaging over said supporting flange, a screw threaded in the lowerportion of said sup porting member and extending through a chamferedhole provided in the lower portion of the socket, a tapered head on saidscrew for wedgefltting said socket hole, and said socket hole beingslightly offset upwardly relative to the screw, whereby tightening saidscrew pulls said lip downwardly against said supporting flange.

for clamping the socket and supporting member together.

HARRY 0. RAS'IE'II'ER. GEORGE D. RAUSCH.

